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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

{No Model.)

J. BAMERT. GOMBQIATIQN LOOK. No. 551,300. I Patented Dec. 10, 1896.

QNo Model) I 2 SheetsSheet 2 J. BAMERT.

GOMBINATION LOCK.

No. 551,300. Patented Dec. 10, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT w@rricn.

JACOB l'iAhlER'l, OF ST. LQUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 .IOIIN RINGEN, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,300, dated December 10, 1895. Applicatiozffiled July 22, 1896. erial No. 556,773. (No model.)

To all 1072/0771 it lay concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB BAMERT, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Combination-Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the form of locks shown and described in Patent No. 495,911, issued April 18, 1893, to John Ringen.

The object of my invention-is to construct the lock so as to increase the difficulty with which it can be manipulated by unauthorized or uninformed persons, while at the same time producing a lock that is simple, durable, and not likely to get out of order.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a front elevation showing my improved lock applied to a mail-box, the lower part of the front of the box beingbroken away. Fig. II is a vertical section taken on line II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is an enlarged detail sectional. view of the lock and part of the box, and showing the parts in their normal position with the door of the box closed. Fig. IV is a similar view showing the door released and partially open. Fig. V is a similar view showing the parts in the position they occupy when a wrong tumbler has been manipulated. Fig. VI is a similar View showing the parts in the position they occupy when the right tumbler or one ofthe right tumblers and a wrong tumbler have been manipulated. Fig. VII is a similar view showing the parts in the position they occupy when an attempt is made to ascertain the combination by pulling outwardly on the doorbefore it is unlocked.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a mail-box having a door 2, and to whichmy improved lock maybe applied. In the lower part of the box is a false bottom 3, beneath which is the locking-chamber 4:- The bottom 3 is hinged to the back of the box, so that it may be carried up into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. II, to permit free access to the lock. I have shown the bottom 3 secured to the back of the box by means of ears or lugs 5 thereon fitting in holes or perforations 6 formed in the back of the box.

7 represents a shaft or rod supported within the chamber 4 on cars or standards 8 projecting upwardly from the bottom 9 of the box. This rod is inserted through a hole 10 in one end of the box, and to close the opening 10 and prevent the removal of the rod '7 when the box is in use, I secure a plate 11 to one end of the false bottom 3, which, when the bottom is in its normal position, fits in front of the opening 10, as shown in Fig. I, thus preventing the possibility of getting at the rod 7 through the opening 10.

12 represents a series of tumblers mounted loosely on the rod 7, and having lower fingerpiece extensions 13 that fit in openings 1% in the bottom 3 of the box. There are a number of these tumblers. but a greater or less number may be used. The tumblers are all alike in shape and construction, but are capable of being reversed on the rod '7 5 and in use part of them are ar ranged with their locking members presented forwardly or toward the front of the box, while the others are arranged so that their locking members are placed to the rear of the box. Each tumbler consists of a fin gerpiece 13, a locking member 15, and a stop projection 16, forward of which is a notch 17. The locking member has a recess 18 and a hook 19. Each tumbler has a hole 20 to receive the rod 7 when its locking member is turned to the rear of the box, and a hole 21 to receive the rod 7 when the tumbler is placed with its locking member toward the front of the box. Projecting inwardly from the innor side of the door of the box are cars 22, carrying a cross-bar 23. W'hen the door is closed, the bar 23 is engaged by the tumblers having their members 15 presented toward the front of the box, as shown in Fig. III. The opening or space 18 of each tumbler is somewhat larger than the bar 23, so that the door is capable of having a slight open and shut movement without being unlocked.

Should a person attempt to ascertain the combination of the look by manipulating the tumblers, he will find when the door is entirely closed that the tumblers are uniformly loose and no more friction. on one than on I have shown eight,

another, so that he is unable to ascertain by any friction that there might be between the locking-tumblers and the door which ones are the lockingtumblers. Should he en deavor to ascertain this by pulling outwardly on the door, so as to create a friction between the door and the locking-tumblers, he will pull the part 13 beneath the hook 19 of the locking -tumblers so that he cannot raise them, and will at the same time pull the bar 23 over the stop projections 16 of the tumblers that are not in locking position, so that these tumblers will be held from movement, and the person will find that all the tumblers are unyielding, so that he is unable in this way to ascertain any clue as to which are the locking-tumblers. This idea of the tumblers all being held from movement when the door is pulled open without being unlocked is illustrated in Fig. VII.

Fig. III shows the door of the box closed and locked. Fig. IV shows the tumblers in the position they occupy when the lockingtumblers only have been manipulated. Fig. V shows the arrangement when one of the non locking tumblers has been operated. Fig. VI shows the arrangement when one of the locking-tumblers and also one of the nonlocking tumblers have been operated, and illustrates how the stop projections 16 of the non-locking tumblers will prevent the door being opened, even though the locking tumbler or tumblers have been manipulated and, as stated, Fig. VII represents the parts in the position they occupy when an attempt is made to ascertain the combination by pulling outwardly on the door before trying to manipulate any of the tumblers.

This lock is simple and durable, is practically indestructible, has no parts to get out of order or repair, and is comparatively inexpensive.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a combination look, a pluralityof tumblers, each having a locking member formed with a hook and a recess adapted to receive a bar of smaller size than the recess, and a stopmember formed of a projection, and a notch or recess which is also adapted to receive the bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In a combination look, a plurality of tumblers adapted to be reversed, each having a pair of openings to receive a supporting rod, a downwardly extending finger piece, a looking member formed of a hook and a recess to receive a bar that is smaller than the recess, and a stop member formed of a projection and a notch or recess which is also adapted to receive the bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JACOB BAMERT. In presence of STANLEY SToNER, E. S. KNIGHT. 

